Bearded candidates abused, ladies harassed

PESHAWAR Recruitment process for constables in Islamabad police was marred with inefficiency, wrongdoings, and malpractices, candidates have alleged.
Those with beards were not allowed to enter the premises of the Police Lines despite the fact that growing a beard is customary in the NWFP.
Boys wearing cloaks owing to cold weather were abused, baton charged and dubbed as terrorists while indecent language was used for girls wearing loose outer garments. We were asked for cell phone numbers, teased, and harassed, a candidate Salma Shaheen informed TheNation. I will never try for recruitment or visit a police station again, she said with tears in her eyes. A candidate, Aslam Khan, said that he and many others were looking for a job. We are not drug dealers but were asked for narcotics by dozens of officials.
It is pertinent to mention that Islamabad police plans to recruit 2,000 constables, 200 Assistant Sub Inspectors and 40 female constables. NWFP and FATA will get 100 posts out of this force. Tests from the candidates hailing from NWFP and FATA were conducted on Saturday at Islamabad Police Lines for the posts of constables in which physical strength, intelligence, fitness, etc. was checked.
Top police officials are yet to understand the importance of recruitment process in these times of terror as only three under training ASPs were given the task to run the show.
Many candidates were not allowed to participate unless they greased the palm of the officials concerned, it is alleged. Those who were conducting the whole show relieved many on different pretexts. During the tests, many lost control and became unconscious, no food, drinking water, or first aid was available and many were simply denied entry in the tests left Police Lines weeping. Those who were simply returned came to appear in the test from areas as far as Swat, Bannu, and Dera Ismail Khan.
It is also believed that the nominees of Interior Minister, IG, and other VIPs were selected without any test. Some of them were mentally and physically unfit. Sale of police stations, roads, and posts in police is nothing new. People were openly talking about price tags for different posts in the Police Lines. A post of constable is believed to be worth Rs. 100,000, while being ASI in Islamabad police is worth Rs. 500,000-700,000.
It is natural that those who find their way in police after paying huge bribes try to recover the amount as soon as possible. IG Islamabad Syed Kalim Imam when contacted did not rule out possibility of corruption and role of touts in the selection procedure. However, he said, I am helpless... please talk to our superiors. DIG Bani Amin frankly expressed his powerlessness and inability to intervene in the process of selection while SSP Zubair Hashmi was not available for a comment.